Schiebel, as part of the Seacure consortium led by Thales, has been awarded a grant agreement under the European Defence Fund’s call for unmanned anti-submarine and seabed warfare solutions.

The Seacure (Seabed and anti-submarine warfare capability through unmanned feature for Europe) consortium consists of 35 companies from 13 European countries and aims to progress joint Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Seabed Warfare (SBW) with unmanned air, surface and underwater systems protecting critical maritime infrastructure. The focus is on detection, classification, identification and tracking of underwater threats in demanding conditions.

Schiebel's latest product, the S-300, will serve as the dedicated Unmanned Air System (UAS) for this project. With a maximum take-off weight of 700kg, the S-300 offers an endurance in excess of 24 hours with a camera and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) or typically 6 hours with a 250 kg payload. Itis the first operational VTOL in its class to achieve these capabilities. The SEACURE project is scheduled to culminate in a large-scale sea trial by 2028.

Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-300 Unmanned Air System (UAS) is designed to meet the requirements of customers seeking extended range, long endurance, and enhanced payload-carrying capabilities. Its three bladed fold able rotor ensures a minimal footprint as it can easily be stowed and maintained in confined spaces or in ships’ hangars. To ensure maximum mission versatility and cost effectiveness, the heavy-lift-capable S-300 can be controlled by the same, proven Ground Control Station used by the smaller S-100.